Monthly Archives: April 2022

Top 5 Books w/ Quick Summaries

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I thought I’d share a few books that’ll keep you inspired throughout the school year! 📚

  1. Stoner (John Williams): academic/campus genre; follows and explores William Stoner, a farmer’s boy who sacrifices his familial relationship in pursuit of literature. Throughout, he must face the failures within his career, workplace, and marriage, along with his losses as father to his daughter, whom he’s grown distant from. (10/10)
  2. 1984 (George Orwell): dystopian genre; follows and explores Winston Smith, a member of “the Party” who begins to retaliate (in quiet secrecy) against the totalitarian regime and its ruler, Big Brother. In this manner, Orwell examines the manipulation of truth (and thus facts) within politics, and how it impacts public opinion. (10/10)
  3. The Miniaturist (Jessie Burton): historical genre; filled with suspense, this novel follows and explores Nella Oortman, a young village woman who must face the challenges of love and obsession, twists and retributions, illusions and truth. For in Amsterdam, many secrets lie within. (10/10)
  4. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee): bildungsroman genre; Atticus (a Maycomb resident and lawyer), is tasked to defend Tom Robinson, an African American who is accused of raping a white woman. He takes on the case despite the public’s certitude (that) he won’t win. (10/10)
  5. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho): fantasy/allegorical genre; Santiago, a young shepherd, goes on an adventure to discover an unimaginable treasure. Throughout, he learns to listen and follow his heart’s path, and that his dreams/passions are in fact a part of a larger whole: the universe. (9/10)

Honorable Mentions: Book Series Edition! 

  1. Witchlands (Susan Dennard): though the series is not quite complete (just books one through four are out; book five has yet to be given a release date), it’s worth the wait! Check them out on goodreads for more information; https://www.goodreads.com/series/124183-the-witchlands  (5/5)
  2. The Book Thief/I am the Messenger (Markus Zusak): though they’re not a series (but rather two books from the same author), they’re good enough to earn a spot as honorable mentions! Check them out on goodreads for more information; https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19063.The_Book_Thief & https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19057.I_Am_the_Messenger  (5/5)
  3. Ash Princess (Laura Sebastian): good news; all three books from the trilogy have been released! Check them out on goodreads for more information; https://www.goodreads.com/series/191507-ash-princess-trilogy (4.5/5)
  4. The Renegades (Marissa Meyer): more good news; all three books from the trilogy have been released! Check them out on goodreads for more information; https://www.goodreads.com/series/208653-renegades (4.5/5)
  5. The Poppy War (R. F. Kuang): extra good news; all three books from the trilogy have been released (+ an added collection of short stories that can be read here: https://rfkuang.com/2020/12/01/the-drowning-faith/). Check them out on goodreads for more information; https://www.goodreads.com/series/243623-the-poppy-war (4/5)

-Emilia D.

Film Review: The 33

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The 33 is a movie based on a true story about an event that happened on August 5th, 2010. On this day, 33 miners got trapped under diorite. They were working in the San Jose gold and copper mine when the collapse occurred.

When the mine collapsed, the miners were forced to go to the refuge of 50 square meters of space. They had to survive on 3 days’ supply of food.

They were trapped in the refuge for 69 days. The Chilean Government sent ministers to help with the rescue. Many different companies, including NASA, helped with the rescue. The movie was very moving because it showed a group of everyday average people overcoming hardships. They came together and helped each other through the 69 days of pure fear and despair.

Citations:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Copiap%C3%B3_mining_accident

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11170852#florencio-avalos

-Ella Y.

The 33 is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie – Book Review

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This narrative by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie was made by compiling the hundreds of letters written to and from Eliza and Alexander Hamilton. It starts with Eliza in her early twenties, a few months before she met Hamilton. She talks about her childhood and growing up in a conflicted nation. Her older sister (contrary to what the musical says), eloped at an early age and had a 2-year-old child before Hamilton arrived in the States. The book then splits into four sections:

1- A War for Independence. The first section begins with “I was someone before I met Alexander Hamilton.” This foreshadows her becoming a whole new person during the American Revolution, and how helping Hamilton with politics helped her in the long run.

2- A War for Peace. Eliza, having had a child of her own, Eliza helps Hamilton and James “Jemmy” Maddison with writing the Federalist Papers and trying to keep her kids out of the chaos that ensued after the revolution (Maria Reynolds has entered the room).

3- The War of Words. After just barely surviving Yellow Fever, Eliza and Alexander made up and no longer had issues. He builds her a giant house called the Grange, and she raises a few more children. She soon discovered that her second born, Ana, has some severe mental issues after witnessing her adopted sister leave. The Hamiltons try to ignore her problems, but some of them are too large to overlook.

4- A War for History. This final section talks about Hamilton and his son Philip’s death, and what she does afterward. Her sons all joined the revolt in the war of 1812, and Angelica’s sad death created a ripple effect that almost shattered her perception of her family (read the book to find out what happened)!

-Izzy W.

My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available for download for free from Libby.

Late in the Day by Ursula Le Guin

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Ursula K. Le Guin on Twitter: ""One way to stop seeing trees, or rivers, or hills, only as 'natural resources,' is to class them as fellow beings—kinfolk. I guess I'm trying to

Late in the Day by Ursula Le Guin is a poetry and prose book, encompassing Guin’s writings towards the end of her life. The book is based on nature- on subjects as vast and meaningful as the sea, to as simple as a Canada lynx walking through a forest. However, in each small poem, Guin cleanly delineates each small, but significant lesson that the natural world can teach us.

I really enjoyed this book. I haven’t read poetry and prose for quite a while, and was a little apprehensive about a book as simplistic as this one, but I was completely surprised by the implicit depth and complexity of Guin’s writing. What I found unique about Guin’s writing is not her syntax or the breadth of her expression (both of which were, by the way, incredible), but her ability to use mundane, everyday situations, common to us all, and weave them into a detailed tapestry on every subject, from society to love to life itself.

Le Guin herself passed in October of 2018, but her writing is timeless, and as meaningful (arguably more so) to our world today as it was seven years ago. The necessity of interconnectivity and harmony with the natural world becomes more pressing day by day- and Le Guin’s writing masterfully explains why and how.

-Vaidehi B.

Beginners Guide to Boba

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Recently, the new trend is boba. Expanded past the Asian American community, boba is a new nationalized sensation. Boba is made from tapioca flour that is then cooked in a sugary syrup. The tiny black balls are then usually placed in various types of teas, slushies, or smoothies.I have grown up drinking boba and even have ratings of all the shops I have been to on my phone. I do not want to call myself obsessed, but it may be true. Nevertheless, the real question is, what is good or bad boba and where should you go?

Brown Sugar Milk

If it is either your first time at a boba shop or first time having boba, a good staple is getting the classic black milk tea with boba. If you dislike super sweet items I would advise lowering the sugar level to 75%. You usually cannot go wrong with classic black milk tea, making it a good sample to try. It is well balanced, sweet but not overpowering. Another good boba for a first timer is Thai milk tea with boba. Do not let the orange color scare you, it is simply strong black tea with various spices that is then sweetened with condensed milk. This drink is very creamy and compliments the boba pearls. If you dislike caffeine, most shops have black sugar milk. This drink is whole milk combined with a brown sugar syrup and boba. The combination is very delicious and does not contain caffeine.

Southern Orange Country is filled with many great boba shops. In the Mission Viejo area, the closest is Ding Tea. Ding Tea has a lot of the classic flavors and is pretty good for what it is. My personal favorite from there is the Wintermelon Milk Tea. If you want to stay as close to Mission Viejo as possible, Ding Tea is a great choice. Also centrally located is ShareTea in Lake Forest. Similarly to Ding Tea, ShareTea has great classics like their Thai Milk Tea. My personal favorite shop is OMOMO in Irvine. Their fruit drinks are made from fresh fruit and their boba is the softest and chewiest you can find. Any drink is a good choice there, especially the fruity drinks. The issue is that the line can be long, so be prepared. Another one of my favorites is Tastea. Also located in Irvine, Tastea has the best slushies compared to any other shop. I usually get the Lychee Freezie, which is a Lychee slush with Lychee jelly and bits combined with honey boba. Their drinks are fresh and their boba is nice and soft.

As a boba enthusiast, I hope this article encourages you to go either get boba or try it for the first time. Happy Boba-ing!

-Lilly G.

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

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In 'The City We Became', New York is born - Books - The Jakarta Post

The City We Became, by N.K. Jemisin, is a sci-fi fantasy novel around themes of hope and belonging.

Have you ever walked through a city at night and felt that it was… alive in some way? Turns out- it might have been. In Jemisin’s carefully crafted (and scientifically accurate!) universe, when cities accumulate enough people and enough culture, they are able to sever themselves from the tether of our universe and be “born” as multidimensional entities- living, breathing organisms. However, the odds are always against it- because the Enemy, obsessed with preserving the spacetime continuum, is always watching and waiting. Each city chooses avatars to protect it- will the avatars of New York City, Earth’s newest birth, rise to the challenge?

This was one of the best fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. Jemisin writes in an easily understandable, prose-y, but uniquely engaging style that I absolutely loved. The plot was incredible too- I love slightly nerdier sci-fi type fantasy plots, and this was perfect! Another one of my favorite aspects of this book was the representation. It didn’t feel heavy-handed or overdone- but the diversity of the characters, whether in ethnicity or in sexuality, really added to the depth of the storytelling in the book through each of their unique struggles. For example, the representation of Padmini, an Indian undocumented immigrant, in Queens, or Bronca, a Lenape art curator in the Bronx, were completely different than what I’ve seen in other books like this- and very much appreciated. I also personally related to the experience of Aislyn, the primary morally-gray (and just masterfully written) character in the book.

This book is part of the Great Cities trilogy, the second book of which (sadly) won’t be released until November 2022. That being said, I would highly, highly recommend this book to anyone!

-Vaidehi B.

The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

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Red Queen - Aveyard, Victoria - 9780062310644 | HPB

If I had to pick an all time favorite book, it would be Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. The book is set in a futuristic fantasy/dystopian world which is divided between red blood and silver blood. The Silvers are born with powers or abilities, ranging from control over certain elements, to mind-control. Whereas, the Reds are born with no abilities. 

Mare Barrow is nobody, a Red pickpocket who tries her best to provide for her family. However, since she is unemployed she will be forced into conscription for the army at the age of 18. Desperate, she flees into the largest Silver city in hopes of finding work. Meanwhile, the Silver royalty is hosting a competition to find the next future Queen for their oldest prince – Cal Calore. Said competition consists of the most powerful Silver women showing off their powers in order to impress the prince. Suddenly, as Mare is watching the competition she is pushed into the arena by accident, changing her entire life in seconds. What should have killed her, instead left her with the ability to control lightning. Reds did not have powers, only Silvers, or so it had been up until then. 

In an effort to keep Mare hidden, the Queen forces her into an arranged marriage with the second born prince, Maven. Mare then spends months as both a prisoner and an anomaly, training and learning her own powers. Meanwhile, tensions between the Reds and Silvers are rising, a group named the Scarlet Guard is planning a revolution.

In secret, Mare joins the Scarlet Guard, only to be shocked when she notices that the second born prince, her fiancé, is already a part of the Guard. Maven Calore is the shadow of his brother and would rather see the Silver empire fall before his brother takes the throne. Together, they plan a revolution drenched in blood, heartbreak and betrayal. 

Red Queen is an amazing novel and a real show of creative world building. The way in which Aveyard describes the Silver’s abilities is a very detailed magic system unique specifically to the series. Furthermore, the series is a perfect mix of fantasy and dystopian to keep the reader craving to read more. This book also has what I would describe as the best, most painful, plot twist I had ever read. Not wanting to spoil anymore, this is definitely a book I would recommend everyone read. 

-Michelle L.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

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Mr. Popper’s Penguins, by Richard and Florence Atwater, is a Newberry Honor award-winning book.  The story is about a man named Mr. Popper.  Mr. Popper is a house painter, and he does not earn much money to support his small family.  He lives in a place called Stillwater, and he has never traveled anywhere else.  However, he loves to read books about exploration to the Arctic or Antarctic regions of the world.  He is especially fascinated by the Antarctic, because he loves to read about penguins.

One day, Mr. Popper receives a pleasant surprise.  He receives a package from Antarctica.  The package contains a real penguin.  This leads to a series of events that will change Mr. Popper’s life.

The story is quite humorous and amusing.  My favorite character is Captain Cook.  Captain Cook is the name of the penguin that first arrives at Mr. Popper’s house.  The penguin is funny in the way he inspects the Poppers’ house and gets into mischief.  Mr. Popper tries to put Captain Cook on a leash to go on a walk, but this leads to all kinds of trouble.  Another problem is trying to find a place for Captain Cook to sleep.  Mr. Popper tries to keep the penguin in an ice cooler, but eventually other penguins arrive at the Poppers’ house, so they need to figure out a way to take care of lots of penguins.  They try opening all the windows to cool down the temperature, but then a blizzard passes through and the inside of the house gets covered in snow and ice.  Finally, Mr. Popper comes up with an idea to raise money to support the penguins, by training them to become stage performers.

In a way this is a silly story, but I thought it was very enjoyable.  This might actually be one of my favorite books right now.  I think it is very well written and highly entertaining.  I would recommend this book to anyone.

-Simon H.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater is available for checkout at the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Wringer by Jerry Spinelli

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Wringer is a Newberry Honor book by Jerry Spinelli.  The story focuses on a young boy named Palmer who becomes part of a “gang” on his ninth birthday.  At first, he enjoys the feeling of being accepted.  But soon he discovers that his feeling of loyalty to the gang will lead to difficult decisions.

Palmer lives in a town that hosts an annual Pigeon Day.  The festivities include typical entertainment such as barbeques and amusement rides, but the highlight of the event is a pigeon shooting contest.  Thousands of pigeons are released into the air, for contest participants to shoot down with their shotguns.  The participant who shoots the most pigeons wins the coveted Sharpshooter’s trophy.

Pigeons that are wounded and fall to the ground during the contest are collected by “wringer boys.”  These boys are tasked with breaking the pigeons’ necks, to ensure death.  All dead pigeons are then placed into plastic bags.  A boy can become a “wringer” once he reaches the age of ten.  The other members of Palmer’s gang all want to become wringers, but Palmer secretly dreads the idea of breaking pigeons’ necks.

The story becomes suspenseful as Palmer struggles with his loyalty to the gang and his innate desire to avoid harming the pigeons.  Palmer finds himself in a difficult position because the killing of pigeons is widely accepted and even celebrated by his community.  He feels pressure to become a wringer, even from his own father.  This creates a challenging moral dilemma for Palmer.

I found this book to be very compelling.  It was hard to put it down once I started reading it.  The characters are well-developed and the ending is quite poignant.  The book conveys a thoughtful message about the killing of animals.  Overall, I would say that this novel was quite deserving of the Newberry Honor award.  I highly recommend it.

-Oliver H.

Wringer by Jerry Spinelli is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Planet 9

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Many people know of the planets in our Solar System: Mercury, Venus, our own planet Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. There are also dwarf planets, such as Pluto, Ceres, and Eris. However, there is one planet that is still hypothetical and completely based on mathematics and theory. Planet 9 is a possible 9th planet in our solar system. Hypothetically, it would be located far beyond Neptune, the reason it is currently an unconfirmed planet. If it were existent, however, Planet 9’s orbit around our Sun could take as much as 10,000 to 20,000 years, in comparison to Neptune’s 165-year orbit. However, it is important to remember that these estimates are all based purely on mathematics and theory, and nothing is currently confirmed. The theoretical planet is believed to orbit the Sun more than 10 times further from the Sun than Neptune, which orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.8 billion miles.

Far outside our main solar system, there is a strange gravitational effect on some relatively small celestial objects (like asteroids). The way they orbit the Sun suggests to some scientists that there is yet another large planet orbiting our Sun far beyond Neptune and Pluto. Still, some scientists also say that our perception of the orbits of those objects is simply caused by human error in calculating and ‘viewing’ their orbits. Until enough evidence is discovered, or the planet itself is spotted through telescopes or various other methods, we can’t really claim that it either exists or doesn’t exist. There may be some other explanation for this phenomenon, or perhaps there really is an undiscovered planet somewhere out in the furthest reaches of our solar system.

-Peri A.